Jacksonville's Hole in the Wall Restaurants, Part I

Here’s a short list of Jacksonville’s "lesser known" restaurants that you should try.

It may feel like the extent of Jacksonville's restaurant offerings revolve around franchise food concepts (I use “concepts” loosely); especially, if you’re looking to find a restaurant sitting on one of our city's main arteries. Franchise restaurants offer one thing: reliability. They provide the assurance that that substance they call food will always be the same. Sometimes that safety is all we need. I understand; sometimes, it’s enough for me.

But, if you’re in the mood to go on some foodie adventures, you’ll explore neighborhoods where the surrounding commercial space is a little run down (and where the rent isn’t so high) to find Jacksonville’s restaurant treasures. There are incredible places to eat in little pockets all over our city. These places are less about "location, location, location" and banal marketing techniques, and more about creating a place in which the food is all the advertising they need.

This short list of hole in the walls is a starting point and a good place to begin exploring some of Jacksonville's obscure restaurants.